


Who Wore It Better?

by Theonewhosawitall



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 04:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13069269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theonewhosawitall/pseuds/Theonewhosawitall
Summary: Adrien is lying bloody, unconcious, and possibly dying in a hospital dead after an akuma attack gone wrong. Plagg and Tikki are hiding with Marinette, the only person who knows who both of the city's heroes are... Were... This time Hawk Moth had gone too far. Marinette was out for revenge, and she wasn't going to let something as trivial as one of the worst storms she had ever seen, stop her.





	1. Chapter 1

Jagged white bolts of lightning cracked the black sky apart, burning through the inky clouds. Rain pelted the window like bullets. The lightning had burned through the electricity, and plunged the bakery into darkness. The only light in the room was the shine of the Eiffel Tower which slithered through the curtains of Marinette's bedroom window.   
Marinette was drenched to the bone, and as much of it had been tears as it was rain. Her eyes were shining from the flood, but she wasn’t crying anymore. There was no more tears, and no more sorrow. The darkness outside was creeping in to replace them. And she had a plan to prove it.

"Tikki remember when I didn’t want to be Ladybug and you vanished?" Marinette asked, her voice hard.

Tikki gulped. "Yes?"

"I need you to do that again for a while."

"But-"

Marinette turned her head and glared at the kwami. "There’s no room for Ladybug right now. No room for good luck. I need the bad stuff."

"Marinette-"

"Tikki I reject Ladybug." She turned back towards the Paris skyline. After all she'd done for them, after all _he_ had done for them... "I reject you."

The earrings fell from her palm. As they hit the bottom of the wooden box they bounced. Tikki became a whoosh of pink. Once the lid slammed shut, she was gone. Plagg gulped nervously.

"That was a mistake."

Marinette glanced at the Eiffel tower through the crack in the curtain. "Let’s make some more."

Plagg shook his head as she pushed the ring onto her finger, like a promise band. After all she had made one.

"You're not thinking straight," he said.

Marinette turned to face him. In the darkness he was only a pair of bright green, panicked, eyes. It was only when the lightning lit the room that she could see him clearly.

There was a dangerous amount of plotting in her tone. "What’s the biggest thing you could destroy without getting hurt yourself?"

"Why?" Plagg asked, nervously.

Marinette twisted the ring on her finger. "Tell me."

There was a tense pause before Plagg answered, "The planet."

Marinette smirked. "Good."

"You want to destroy the planet?"

"No. Smaller than that," she glanced back to the window, and scowled with a burning fury in her chest. "I want to destroy Paris."

Plagg gulped. "Marinette-"

"But I won't. Obviously."

For a moment her voice turned back to normal. Pained and desperate, but unmistakably Marinette. She wandered towards the window and pulled the curtain back. A crackle of thunder boomed across the city as she did. Everything may have gone wrong, and she may have wanted revenge for that, but she was still Marinette. No matter how deep down that was.

"If Hawkmoth thinks he's so dangerous that he can get away with this, he's got another thing coming. He thinks he’s the only dangerous person in Paris, but he hasn't met the wrath of a woman scorned. He's about to find out that if you mess with a cat, you get the claws." She clenched her fist and relaxed it to prepare herself.

Plagg gazed over at the box where Tikki and her earrings were shut away. "This won't end well."

Marinette set her jaw, balled her fists, and let the fire burn in her eyes. "I don't care. Hawkmoth has gone too far. It's time to let him know we're not playing games anymore. Plagg. claws out."

...

The nurse finished neatening the bedsheets, and smoothed the blanket under his hand. She made sure that his IV was still firmly in his arm before giving a soft smile. Her chest ached to see someone so young like this. So young. So innocent. What was this city coming to? She shook her head and sighed. When she shut the door behind her, the room was dark again. The only light came from the pale lamp on his bedside, and the heart monitor screen. For a moment the room was still. Then the toilet door opened with a creek, and a new rush of yellow light lit the bed. All they could hear was the constant beeping. It was low, relentless, and loud in the silence. In films it was reassuring. At least you knew they were alive. But here, for him, Marinette needed a heart monitor of her own to know if hers still worked. Her shadow was cast across the bed. Its unconscious occupant noticed neither the yellow rectangle, or the unfamiliar familiar shadow. Her baton in the same hand that held the door open, her tail too low to be seen, but her ears were sharp either side of her bun. Her footsteps echoed across the room as her little bell jingled softly on its pale blue ribbon. A matching, thicker ribbon dangled from a bow that help up her bun.   
Adrien looked so fragile like this. He was paler than ever, and his hair was so messy she wondered how she never noticed who Chat was before. Now they had cleaned away the blood and stitched the gaping slash on his forehead, he looked peaceful.   
The memory of her kitty flashed through her mind. He was covered in blood, and dirty with muddy from where he had landed. This gritty balcony was covered with damp soil from the plant pot he had smashed while landing. With the rain lashing at them the blood and dirt mixed and she couldn’t see how injured he really was. He could barely keep his eyes open as he grunted for his claws to come off. Plagg landed in her lap and looked as horrified as she did. She gasped.

Her Adrien.

Her kitty.

The same.

It was still a raw wound. He still hadn’t opened his eyes, and she was _terrified_ for him. Marinette curled her claw across his cheek so softly it didn’t leave a mark. Her breath shook, and her heart throbbed. She should have been there to defend him. He wouldn’t be here if she had been there to defend him.   
Now it was time to make it right.

Marinette pulled Tikki's box from her pocket, and rubbed her thumb along the lid gently. Her claw bumped across the engravings without a care. She took a deep breath, and tucked the box into Adrien's palm. She pressed her hand on top of his, so he could feel it.

"Hold onto this for me kitty. I know she'll be safe with you."

Her voice was scarcely more than a whisper, yet the silence of the room made it loud. Marinette knelt down and picked up the bag that the doctors had put his personal effects in. She opened it, and pushed the box into the pocket of his hoodie. No one would look for her there.

"I'll be back for you Tikki. There’s just something I have to do first," she promised.

Marinette placed the bag safely in the bedside table's drawer, and looked back at Adrien. She gulped. It wasn't right that her partner look so fragile when he was the strongest person she knew. Her breath shook as she gently pushed back his hair. She laid a soft kiss on the uninjured part of his forehead. He was warm, and soft, and hurt. All she could muster was a single tear that rolled from her eye, down her cheek, and onto his.   
The nurse opened the door to Adrien's room and entered with a clipboard. Once again, the room was empty.

…

Marinette stood in the shadows at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, gazing up at the gleaming icon of Paris. Countless times she had saved this landmark for the citizens of her beloved city. Countless times someone had tried to destroy it anyway a week later. Now it was her turn. It was only fair. The storm rumbled on, loudly above the city. Electricity in the air warned everyone something was going to change. No one noticed.

"Are you ready Plagg?" She asked.

Her voice was hard and determined. Plagg's was less so.

"There’s no going back if you do this."

She bowed her head, and her eyes were as hooded as every akumas. Marinette didn’t need an akuma for her powers. That's what made her so deadly.   
Alya came dashing across the street from the very moment that she had spotted what she mistook to be Chat Noir walking towards the Eiffel Tower from her bedroom window. Her phone was already in the air filming shaky footage as she got to the top of the stairs.

"CHAT NOIR!" She cried.

Marinette heard a dull echo as someone cried her partners name. Her partner everyone always looked over. Forgot about. Missed. Her partner that was lying in hospital now because of that. No one noticed him then.  
They sure as hell were going to notice him now.

"Cataclysm."

She spat the word like venom. Plagg winced. Her hand burned with raw destructive energy as she felt the jet-black ball form between her claws. Marinette raised her hand to admire its power for a moment. Alya sensed something very wrong was about to happen. Her footsteps slowed as she stopped running. She was only a few feet away now, and her phone clearly showed the cataclysm in her hand.

"Chat Noir?" She gasped.

Marinette pressed her palm flat against the base of the Eiffel Tower, and felt the surge of power rush into the metal.

 ** _CREAK_**!

_SIZZLE!_

_POP!_

The metal turned brown and rusty as the power rushed through it. Each light that made the icon gleam burst, and died. The entire tower went dark. Citizens gathered at their windows in horror. This wasn’t because of lightning. Not even a storm this hard could destroy every light on the iconic monument.  
Almost every eye in the city was on the tower as it turned jet black, and practically invisible against the clouds above. A deadly, unearthly groan drowned out the thunder as the metal bent and crumbled. Huge chunks of metal broke away, and went crashing towards the ground. Marinette turned and walked away from the destruction. She walked past Alya, who stared in horror. Without looking, Marinette yanked Alya forward, which made her gasp. And then -

**CRUNCH!**

A great block of iron crushed the concrete ground into dust, right where Alya had been standing. She stared at Marinette, lost for words for the first time since they had met. But her camera was still rolling on live stream. She raised it up to Marinette's face, as she delivered a harsh, determined speech, that shook the city worse than Hawkmoth ever had.

"Go home Alya. Go home and lock your doors and do not come outside again tonight."

"W-w-why not?"

"Because tonight Hawkmoth went too far. He took something from me far more precious than my miraculous. Hawkmoth has controlled this city for too long and he thinks he can get away with manipulating innocent kids for having the audacity to feel things like humans do. He thinks he can get away with anything he damn well pleases, well that ends tonight. If you fear this storm, you’re going to hate the one I'm bringing. There's a new cat in town. Take cover."

...

Gabriel stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched the video that was on every single breaking news story in the city. Chat Noir had lost his miraculous, and this girl that had replaced him was out for revenge. The city was terrified. Nooroo was terrified.

"W-what are you going to do master?"

"This girl... she's ladybug," Gabriel said.

Nooroo gasped. "How do you know master?!"

"When my son was hospitalised, I went through his things. He didn't have his miraculous. He didn’t even have his kwami. The only person who could have taken it was Ladybug. Which means, for a while at least, she held both miraculous. She had the ultimate power. But she's coming to fight me with the _cat_ instead. More fool her. We'll kill her and take both miraculous for ourselves," Gabriel sneered.

"Kill her?!" Nooroo squeaked.

"Yes," Gabriel sneered, "kill the fool. Then I really will be able to get away with anything I want."

Nooroo gulped. Once, a long time ago, he had tried something as a last resort. It hadn't worked then, but it was all he had left. One thing that would maybe make him think again.

"She wouldn't want it this way."

Gabriel suddenly turned cold. He clenched his jaw firmly. "Do not Nooroo."

"She wouldn't want her son or his best friend hurt-"

Gabriel grabbed the kwami in one fist and squeezed him until he couldn't breathe.

"I said don't. You think I want to sacrifice my only child? I nurtured him for years. He was going to be heir to all this. My company. But the spell demands blood for blood. Family for family!" Gabriel threw Nooroo across the room, and huffed, "All her blood is already split except him. I can't change that."

His hand automatically moved to his broach, and he opened it. There she was. His beautiful wife. She smiled up at him, full of love and life and joy. He softened slightly.

Nooroo gasped for breath, but he couldn’t give up yet. Ladybug and Adrien's lives depended on it. "You could try seeing her in him and loving him for being what's left of her."

"It's too late for that Nooroo. I need her back. If I have to squash a bug to get it," he clenched his fist around his broach, and closed the lid to hide the pictures. "Then that's what I'll do."


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette braved the storm, standing on a rooftop, staring over the edge, out towards the city. Her gaze fell on the mass of flashing lights and sirens too far away to hear as emergency services surrounded the rubble. Plagg ate so much so fast that even he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a part of this. He didn’t have a choice. It had been a long shot to text her location to the moth icon on the baton, but she waited none the less. The lightning crackled around her. Up here the thunder was deafening. Even so, she heard the new footsteps loud enough to drown it out. She didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

"I didn’t think you’d actually show up."

"I wouldn't miss this. Ladybug."

His voice was cool, and smug. Something about it was familiar. Hauntingly familiar. She turned to face him. He wasn't exactly what she was expecting, although she wasn't really expecting much. She folded her arms across her chest and rested a hand on her baton, just in case.

"So you know who I am."

Hawkmoth sneered. "Yes. Do you know who I am?"

Marinette snarled, "I don't care. You put Adrien in hospital."

"I've done worse."

"This is the end of it."

Hawkmoth raised his chin and eyed her up and down. Her catsuit had a different shade of black along her stomach and arms, like it was exposing parts of her that couldn't fill out what Adrien could. It filled in over her chest until the collar opened out, and the bell sat on her sternum. Every little nip and tuck of the outfit to fit her instead was a shade darker to protect her more. He noted those details, and turned his attention to her eyes. the fire in them was anger. Anger that clouded judgement. She wasn’t thinking straight. He could use that too. After all, he had a lot of practice in manipulation.

"Why now? Why him? Out of all the people I've hurt, why is he the one you end this for?" He asked rhetorically.

"Figure it out," she spat.

"You love him?"

"With all my heart."

Hawkmoth chuckled darkly. "Ah. Love is a very dangerous thing. It makes us so very vulnerable. And yet, destroy it, and we become so much stronger."

He took a step closer, and she took a step to the side, and walked around him, so he had to turn to hold her gaze. He started to circle her instead. He was tall and his slow stride should have been intimidating. A thousand designers had buckled under that stare, but Marinette was stronger than them.   
Her cause was stronger.   
Her cause was Adrien.

"I don’t need strength to beat you. I defeated every akuma to get here-"

"But you had help,” he countered. “this time Chat Noir isn’t here to help you."

"No. Ladybug isn’t here to help _you_ ," she snarled.

Plagg gulped. Ladybug was a merciful, just, and forgiving person. right now, this Kitty Noir, she wasn’t. that didn’t bode well for them. even if she beat Hawkmoth, they’d have to face facts. Marinette had a dark side. Ladybug had a dark side. And it was terrifying.

"Just because you dress like him doesn’t make you as powerful as him," Hawkmoth warned.

"I'm with the God of destruction. I think I'll be ok."

Ladybug wasn't there. There was no yin and yang. There was no one to tell her to stop or let go or warn her when she was being harsh. She was full of anger and a need to destroy. Mercy wasn’t on her mind. Hawkmoth tried a new tactic.

"I was in love once. She died."

"I'd pity you if I cared," she spat.

"Oh but you should care. It means I understand you. You're angry. You're hurt. You want nothing but revenge," he stopped circling her for a moment. "I can help."

"No thanks," she spat.

"Oh Ladybug, you have no idea what you’re missing. You hold both miraculous. You could control the ultimate power of destruction and creation. You could become the universe," he offered in a sultry voice.

She scowled deeper. "He's all the universe I need."

"You could ensure he lives." He smirked as her cat ear twitched and betrayed her. "I see that got your interest. Imagine that. You could keep him alive. Forever if you wish. All you have to do is combine the miraculous. I can show you how to control it."

"Don’t do it Mari," Plagg’s voice was a muffled thought at the back of her head. She ignored him.

"What’s in it for you?"

"I get my love back first. That's what all of this is about. She comes back to me, he comes back to you," Hawkmoth promised.

"Don’t do it Marinette, it’s a trap!" Plagg's voice was louder now.

Marinette glanced Hawkmoth up and down.

"My kwami said something to me once. I didn’t think much of it at the time. _No one remembers a Ladybug, but without them greenfly would destroy the world_. You may be a moth, but you’re a greenfly if ever I met one. I'm going to stop you."

Hawkmoth stopped behind her, and got close. She could feel his breath against her hair. She held firm. He reached towards her hand, slowly. Subtly. Ready to take her ring.

"Really? Because you look more like a cat to me. And this pussycat couldn’t hurt a fly."

His hand crept closer against hers, until he could practically touch the ring. And then **_wham_**! She smacked his fingers with her baton and stepped out of his grip as he relief back in pain. She sneered.

"Wanna bet?"

Hawkmoth scowled at her. He flattened his hand against his side and straightened up. "You're right about one thing Ladybug."

"What's that then?"

"This ends tonight."

He drew his sword from his staff, and it glinted in the bursts of lightning that lit them. Marinette twirled her baton. It wasn’t as sharp or cunningly hidden, and it was much less likely to kill someone, but it was hard and it was blunt enough to hurt as it did. He charged at her, and she dodged to the side like a bull fighter.

“Is that all you’ve got?” she sneered.

He twirled back to face her. “You’re not supposed to talk while you fight.”

“Sorry, is it distracting for you? It’s a shame I don’t care isn’t it?”

She swung the baton at his legs, but he leapt over it, so it hit nothing, but threw her off balance. He made a jab for her chest as she stumbled, but she moved with the fall, and rolled across the roof to leapt to her feet behind him. he flipped the sword to lash at her arm, and missed by centimetres. She found herself wishing she had her yo-yo. Then she could tie up his feet, so he couldn’t move so easily and take him out in three moves maximum. But she didn’t, so she had to make do.

“This love of yours, what was her name?” she asked.

Hawkmoth twisted under her arm, causing her other hand to be trapped behind him, and he sneered. “I thought you didn’t care.”

“I don’t, but-”

She managed to parry his lunge with her baton and get close enough to him to mask a swipe for his sword, so he had to move and free her arm. He pushed her back, so she missed it, and ended up on the floor. Hawkmoth raised his sword high above her, pointed right at her.

“But _what_?!”

“But!” she flipped her legs up over her head, and landed on her feet, facing him with a smirk, “But talking’ll slow you down.”

“Shrew. Cheating too,” he sneered.

“Like you’ve ever played fair! Manipulating innocent children to do your dirty work” She slammed her baton towards his knees and he parred it, “an actual baby?!”

“That was an accident!” he argued, and threw a hand towards her arm to block her movement, “My akuma lost track of one emotional wreck and went for another.”

She latched onto his arm, and rolled over his back so he couldn’t hold on, “So your akumas are as useless as you are. At least they fight the battle themselves instead of sitting in a dark room cackling like a lonely fungus!”

“I thought I was a greenfly?” he countered.

“They’re both pests, you can be both,” she shrugged.

“Cats can be pests too, Ladybug. That’s why they get drowned at birth,” he snarled.

Marinette found herself in a corner. Boxed in. he advanced. she gulped. The only thing she could think to do was spin the baton as fast as possible to use it as a shield. Tried as he like (and he tried hard) Hawkmoth couldn’t get his sword through the blades as she pushed him back. then, blink and you miss it, she slammed the baton down, and pressed the button, to simply leap over his head. But in another like Hawkmoth was a ballerina. He pirouetted to meet her. The baton and sword clashed as thundered struck above them. in the lightning, her eyes were full of determination, and fear. She had underestimated him. now it was looking like she couldn’t beat him.

“Give up, buggy, you can’t beat me. I was a fencing champion!”

Marinette’s mind worked quick as a flash. She was outgunned here. he had a better weapon, more skills, and more experience. She couldn’t beat that. but she had something else.   
_CRACK_!  
Hawkmoth fell backwards, and crashed to the ground as Marinette punched him as hard as she possibly could, right in his jaw. Hawkmoth grabbed his jaw and cried in pain. Marinette shook out her hand, and stepped over him.

“You might be a fencing champion, but I’m a weak and little girl with an over protective father who wanted me to learn self-defence,” she grabbed his broach, and yanked it off of him, as he protested. “Thanks Papa.”

Hawkmoth became a purple light, as his costume dissolved, and Nooroo came flying off of him, into the broach again. Marinette tucked him into her pocket, and gasped as her hero, her love’s father, sat in the growing puddles below them. the thunder cackled again.

“YOU?!” She yelled.

Gabriel unfolded his legs, and dusted himself down, defiantly. He raised his arms out at his sides. “Me.”

Marinette scowled at him. “You put Adrien in hospital.”

“I know.”

“Don’t you care?!”

“Why should I?”

“He’s your son!”

“She’s my wife,” he snarled. Marinette looked at him with disgust and he scoffed at her. “His mother and I met when we were young. your age maybe. I don’t know, and I don’t care. She’s all I’ve ever had, and all I’ve ever wanted. When I lost her I vowed to do anything, _anything_ , to get her back. wouldn’t you do anything to save Adrien?”

“I wouldn’t hurt my son,” she spat.

“Would you hurt his father?” He sneered as once again her cat ears betrayed her. “I could still help you. Adrien could be immortal.”

“But?”

“I need both miraculous,” he said.

“no chance,” she scoffed.

“I guess I really will have to kill you then. Shame. It’s so hard to get bloodstains out of white,” he sneered.

He made a charge for her again, and she didn’t move. She just pressed a button on the baton, and out flew the staff. It smashed right against his head, and he fell to his knees. Now he had a bleeding gash on his forehead, and he hissed in pain. He wasn’t about to let that stop him through. Nothing could get between him and his wife. He had come too far to allow that. Stubbornly, he raised his arm in the air. Marinette pressed the baton into his hand, and took a step back. he raised his hand high...

“ARGH!”

Lightning turned the large metal pole into an electrical pipe, and turned Gabriel into an earthing lead. The electricity blazed through his hand, and burned into his skin, and all through his body. He twitched in agony as it left through his feet, and rushed down into the water beneath him. Marinette had deliberately moved into a dry flat. She was safe. but his second impact on the ground knocked him unconscious. The watery puddles turned crimson as his blood oozed into them. Marinette watched as he still twitched, but the electricity appeared to have left.

“Is he dead?” Plagg asked.

Marinette knelt down, pulled off her claws, and pressed her fingers against his wrist. There was a pulse. It was strong and stubborn. It was difficult to kill a pest permanently. She dropped his wrist, and it splashed against the water.

“I hope jumpsuits are in fashion next season Mr Agreste, but I doubt it,” she muttered, “Claws off Plagg.”

Plagg spilled from the ring, and landed in her hand. His stomach grumbled almost immediately, but for the first time in forever, he wasn’t worried about his hunger. Something more important was going on.

“What are you doing?” he asked, urgently.

“I can’t carry him alone,” she said.

She pulled the broach from her pocket again and looked down at it. Nooroo appeared from nowhere. He was small and lilac, with huge moth wings and a curl on his head. He smiled at her, anxiously.

“you saved me!” he said, “but… who are you? Ladybug or Chat Noir?”

“I’m Marinette. Can you lift heavy weights?” she asked.

“Um, no. I make heroes. Or, villains… Why?” Nooroo asked.

“I need to carry him to prison,” Marinette gestured to the body.

Nooroo frowned. He was relieved that Adrien was safe, but he couldn’t help being concerned about himself, and her. she had just stolen him, after all. the last person who did that was, well, Gabriel.

“What’s going to happen to me?” he asked, nervously.

Marinette opened her mouth to answer, and frowned. She had no idea what to do with an extra kwami. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Plagg smiled to himself. she was moving on now. back to normal. Back to ladybug. “It’s good to have you back Mari.”

“Plagg, sorry, but I reject you too,” she said, gently.

Plagg nodded, still smiling. He was sucked into a black blur, back into the ring. Once he had vanished, Marinette raised it to her lips, and kissed the paw print gently.

“thanks for the help kitty.”

She tucked the ring safely into her pocket and zipped it up to ensure that he was safe. then she fixed the broach onto her collar where the bell had sat. she was going to miss the bell. Not much else, but the bell she liked.

“Well – what’s your name sorry?” she asked.

“Nooroo miss,” he bowed his head.

She wrinkled her nose. “Oh, no, just call me Marinette.”

“Yes miss Marinette.”

“Close enough. How do I do this Nooroo?” she tapped the broach, pointedly.

“You just say Wings Out.”

“Ah. Thanks, Nooroo,” she said. He smiled. He was already being appreciated more than Gabriel ever did. He liked this one. “Wings out.”


	3. Chapter 3

If you thought the news went mad for a new female Chat Noir destroying the Eiffel Tower and declaring war on Hawkmoth, you should have been there when Stoneheart appeared at the base of the rubble, carrying Gabriel Agreste over his shoulder, with a female Hawkmoth hovering behind him. although as soon as Stoneheart laid Gabriel's unconscious, bleeding body in front of the police, this girl laid a hand on his arm, gently, and tapped him with the top of her staff. Immediately the rock fell away, and he transformed back into Ivan. She nodded at him, gratefully, and he smiled back, happy to have helped.  
The media went crazy. A million pictures of this girl appeared in every paper and every tv show in the city. Her hair was loose, messy, and dark blue. It was blowing heroically in the breeze of her long, glistening lilac wings that kept her afloat. A gleaming white butterfly sat in her hair, pinning back her finger like a living hair clip. Her black leggings were half covered by a black and purple skirt, which became her tails. Her top covered her like a jacket that took in her sleeves, covering the top of her gloves, that were now purple. Two purple wings framed her mask. Only one blog questioned her identity. Only one person dared suggest she – and this new cat – could be Ladybug herself.

Only Alya was that brave.

She couldn't even tell Marinette about her new theory, because Marinette had disappeared. She was, unsurprisingly, hidden away in a small hospital room with an unconscious blond boy, and three kwamis who were utterly relieved all of this was over.  
Marinette perched on the edge of Adrien's bed with Plagg curled up in her best pocket warming her chest, and Nooroo sat on her shoulder, appreciating this new freedom he had. Tikki was nestled in front of her, reading a magazine with her. The article had been speed written for publication this morning. It was a miraculous "who wore it better?" Between Hawkmoth, Chat Noir, and two girls no one had names for just yet. No doubt they would have a name by the end of the day.

"I'm proud of you Marinette. You took on the most evil man in the city alone, and you won, saving the entire city single handily," Tikki declared.

"Single pawed actually," Nooroo said.

Marinette laughed, "Oh no, you do puns too?"

Nooroo looked worried, "is that bad?"

"Not at all. you're going to fit right in," she smiled.

Nooroo flitted his wings excitedly, and beamed. He'd been all alone for so long now that this little family was like an oasis in a desert. More precious than a treasure. He loved them already.

"Mari?"

"Yeah Tikki?"

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I won't. Promise."

Marinette leaned down and kissed the top of her kwamis head gently. Tikki flattened her antenna to let her, and chirped happily. Things already seemed brighter.

The sun shone in through the window, lighting the room with gold that made his hair shine. Outside various news crews were desperately trying to get an interview with Adrien about how much he knew of his father's side career. Each of them were so engrossed in their plans on how to get in, they didn't notice the return of the iconic Paris landmark towering over them once again. Their low arguing was drowned out by the beeping monitor, and Plagg's muffled snoring. Adrien blinked, wincing at the light that hurt his eyes. A surge of agony ran through him as he looked around and realised he was tied to the bed by tubes. Marinette looked up as Adrien shifted. She gasped in delight, and threw her arms around him. He groaned in agony, so she leapt back urgently.

"Sorry! Sorry! I just... I thought I lost you," she breathed, unable to stop smiling.

He blinked, and groaned, "What... what happened?"

"Quite a lot. Take some time to wake up, you've had a serious injury," Marinette said, gently.

"I... Ladybug..."

Adrien trailed off when he heard a familiar voice complaining loudly as he climbed his way out of Marinette's pocket to tell her off for squashing him awake.

"What'd you mean by squishing me like that?! Don't you know why catnaps are called that?! Because I need to nap!"

"Sorry Plagg," she giggled.

Adrien frowned. "Plagg?"

"Adrien!" Plagg shot forward to nuzzle against his head, making him laugh, "Oh am I glad to see you kid!"

"We're all glad to see him!" Tikki beamed.

Adrien tilted his head and frowned at her, "Tikki?"

"Pleasure to meet you properly Adrien. Sorry about all this, it got a bit... out of hand," Tikki shrugged, apologetically.

Marinette looked sheepish as Adrien glanced between Marinette and Tikki. You could see the cogs slowly whirling into life as he put two and two together.

"You're... so Marinette is... oh my God!"

"There's shock one. I'm afraid they get worse from there," Nooroo said.

Adrien blinked. "Who's that?"

"I'm Nooroo. It's good to meet you. I'm sorry about this too, Tikki's right, this all got out of hand," Nooroo said.

"Which is my fault, sorry," Marinette said.

"What... what are you talking about?" he asked.

"Well you're going to have to come and live with me for a while," she said.

He shook his head, confused, "What?"

"Let me explain-" Plagg began.

"Wait- one more shock. Yes, I'm Ladybug. Yes, you're Chat Noir. Yes, I defeated Hawkmoth last night. Yes, this story makes me look pretty bad, but you should know I did it all because... well because I love you Adrien. With all my heart."

Adrien stared at her, shocked. He began to wonder if he was in a coma and dreaming all of this. Marinette… was ladybug. Ladybug loved him? he had to be dreaming.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

The kwamis argued between themselves as they explained to Adrien what he had missed. Tikki explained everything until she got locked up in a box, then Plagg explained everything until he got put into his ring (which she then remembered to return to him) and Nooroo explained the rest. Including the fact that Gabriel was now under arrest and heading to jail, and was planning to murder them both. Adrien ran his hand through his hair, and leaned back in his bed, looking shot. His hair went up at all angles, and Marinette tried not to smile at how cute he looked. He was going through a lot now and laughing wouldn't help.

"Wow. That's a lot to take it."

"I know. Rodger Cop says that the house is technically still yours, as is your father's money and his company, so you can stay in Paris if you want, but you need a guardian. They're looking for your nana, but you can stay with me until then," she said.

"I don't know what to say," he said.

"You don't have to say anything," she said.

They sat in silence for a while as Adrien tried to let things sink in. then he turned his head to take in Marinette. She smiled. She had a beautiful smile. Her hair was messy in it's bunches right now, and the bags under her eyes were larger than the bags under his. She was his Lady, and she had done all this for him. He felt a surge of affection for her.

"Do you really love me?" he asked.

She frowned. "Yes of course."

"Then will you kiss me?" he asked.

She grinned. "Gladly."

Marinette leaned down, pressing her hand into the bedcovers, and he sat up to meet her lips. His heart monitor beeped faster as he raised his hand to run it through her hair. Plagg groaned in disgust and Tikki hissed at him to shush. Nooroo fluttered his wings again. Marinette had to break away to giggle when his heartrate monitor beeped so loudly a nurse popped her head around the door.

"Oh, you're awake! Good. But maybe don't do that. You might do yourself some damage," she warned.

"Sorry," Marinette said.

The two of them snorted with laughter as the nurse wandered out of the room again. Marinette leaned down, giggling, and her head brushed against Adrien's chest. He smiled at her, full of affection, and raised his hand to her cheek. She moved her hand up to his and his smile grew. He dared to kiss her again. He could feel her smile through the kiss, and this time he had to laugh. He rested his head against hers.

"Maybe I can get used to this strange new world," he muttered.

She bit her lips and smiled. "I love you too."


End file.
